Osiria Rose [✓] - MAJOR EDITING

9. After Dark

Soft footsteps rustle in the background, with a hint of a worrying sigh.

Opening my eyes and registering my surroundings takes me a few seconds.

A shrill noise rings in the background, which eventually dials down into the distance, replaced by my light exhales. 

The incoherent grey colours sharpen into the same plain rough rocky ceiling that has been carved meticulously into an open space. I began to wonder how these people can breathe in a confined area that has little to no openings, except for the narrow hallways.

Wouldn't their lungs collapse from the intense exposure to carbon dioxide? Do their lungs still function as normal as a human being? What did I sign up for, at a desperate moment, in the first place?

I feel for my fingers, willing them to move even at the slightest command. My index fingers twitch at first before the rest follow suit. Something silky brushes against my fingertips. The rest of my limbs gradually awaken from their slumber and I force my body to sit up from the bed.

Another wave of pounding headache strikes my head and I close my eyes.

I pray in my heart for the pain to go away, to never strike ache into my life ever again, to release itself of its misery. 

It isn't long enough like the previous incidents. It lasts shortly until a cold palm rests on my forehead. The skin texture is oddly familiar, with a hint of a musky scent in the air. I draw a short breath and slowly open my eyes. 

The pain eventually subsides. He retracts his palm away and musters a small grin. He sits on the edge of the bed, which moderately bounces from his weight. 

I glance around the slightly empty chamber, except for the king-sized bed with a nightstand on both sides, a free-standing wardrobe on my right, and the overwhelming plain wall. Perched on those walls are two pairs of candlelights. 

A single sheet of grey silk blanket covers my legs. I can neither feel the cool breeze nor the warmth. Everything is in between.  

"What happened ... to me?" I muttered.

SeokJin releases a light exhale. His eyes cast down at the ground, shadowed by the lack of natural light present in the chamber. The earlier sentiment of being able to explain facts and concepts easily has died down. It seems that he has little to no confidence in answering my question. 

His broad shoulders are sagged forward, and his back is almost curved into a U-shape, which is uncomfortable for a typical human being to stay in for a long period. I can barely make sense of what goes through his head, let alone the deep thoughts that he might be pondering on. 

Or perhaps, this is all just my mere assumption. 

Between vampires and human beings, we are nothing alike. 

"Just a normal reaction when a human being transitions from one state to another," he said. 

"Then why do you look so concerned?" I ask, arching one eyebrow. 

He straightens his back, surprise now evident on his pale face. 

"I am?" 

"Yeah," 

He vaguely shakes his head. SeokJin's hand reaches out towards me, only to grasp the silk blanket that is concealing my fatigued legs. 

"Is it wrong to feel concerned about a certain someone?" he questions. 

His tone is neither demanding nor that of worry. 

"It's not wrong, but you needn't worry that much about my fainting episode ..."